


cigarettes and strawberry milk (便利店的男孩 )

by slingshot



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe, Convenience Store AU, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 02:46:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13204137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slingshot/pseuds/slingshot
Summary: Jin Young thinks the man over at the last aisle is going to rob the store.convenience store au where jinyoung works as a cashier on night shifts while jaebum is a delivery boy at the nearby restaurant.





	cigarettes and strawberry milk (便利店的男孩 )

Jin Young thinks the man over at the last aisle is going to rob the store. 

Nobody stares at Cadbury chocolate that long. He has been sneaking glances over at the cashier where Jin Young is. He is either going to pull a knife out at Jin Young or he was plain drunk. Jin Young really does not want to spend the rest of his shift cleaning vomit off the floor with their broken mop. 

Printed blue flames adorn his flashy black motorcycle helmet, a black bomber jacket drapes across his wide frame and matching black pants stand out in the brightly saturated convenience store.

Jin Young and Helmet Guy are the only two people in Gorilla Mart now at 3.30am.

Gorilla Mart, where Jin Young works, is located behind a hotel, off a little street with pubs and restaurants littered the area. The neon sign of ’24 hours’ stands out amid the darkness of nightfall, a beacon to wanderers on the street after midnight.

Jin Young blinks wearily, rubbing his eyes. He has seen disgruntled employees working overtime trudge in, sleepless tourists and tipsy bar customers amble about, all of them not spending more than five minutes in the store. 

Except for Helmet Guy here.

It is times like that where the silence in the dead of the night gets to Jin Young. Every sound made is amplified by the void. However, the low tinkling of music streaming from the midnight radio program is a strange comfort to Jin Young.

Jin Young continues staring at him, trying to etch the general description of him on his mind. Helmet Guy shuffles between aisles, picking up a pack of batteries before placing it back. He picks up a packet of honey butter chips.

Jin Young’s stomach grumbles.

Jin Young is worn out and hungry, the night shift taking a toll on him. Helmet Guy swaggers over to Jin Young empty handed.

So, not drunk, Jin Young concludes.

Jin Young’s fingers instinctively brush over the emergency button under the counter. He recalls his coworker, Mark, mentioning the previous robbery incident at the store where Mark had leaped over the counter to tackle the assailant.

Jin Young doubts he possesses the same athleticism as Mark. He sighs deeply in resignation.

Helmet Guy stands before the counter. Jin Young notes that Helmet Guy is taller than him by a few inches, his build slightly bigger. Jin Young takes a step back nervously, awaiting his next move. Then, Helmet Guy lifts his tinted visor and two crescent shaped eyes beam at Jin Young.

Why, hello there.

Nobody smiles at Jin Young like that, at three in the morning when he is working

“Marlboro Reds, please.”

Helmet Guy’s voice is muffled from beneath his helmet, like a discount store Batman. Jin Young hands over the cigarette pack gingerly. Helmet Guy pays and finally leaves the store.

Jin Young is alone again. He breathes a sigh of relief. 

Jin Young proceeds to rename Helmut Guy to ‘Eye Smile Guy’. Jin Young’s shift drags on through the early hours of dawn where daylight starts to peek through.

Eye Smile Guy is the most interesting thing that has happened tonight during Jin Young’s mundane job.

 

-

 

Jin Young works weekends and weekdays when he does not have early classes the next day. Mark, who leaves promptly at 11pm every night, handing the keys to the cashier to Jinyoung before his shift. Jin Young is the only employee on night shift, minding the store till the day breaks at 6am then his manager, Woo Young, takes over and attends to the morning crowd. 

Honestly, Jin Young prefers the night shift with its little customers, the higher pay and the amount of time he has to himself. Once, Jinyoung managed to rush out an essay while working his shift at the store.

Sometimes, the late nights do get to him but he needs the money to put him through college.

Besides, there is a rival convenience store chain a few blocks from Gorilla Mart. Thus, Jinyoung is not overwhelmed by the influx of customers dead in the night.

Also, Brian from said rival convenience store is busy mooning over Wooyoung. (But that is a story for another time.)

Jin Young starts to notice that Eye Smile Guy is actually a regular customer. He always makes an appearance at Gorilla Mart during the wee hours of Jin Young’s shift. Jin Young’s eyes might be playing tricks on him but Eye Smile Guy might have occasionally visited the store twice in one night.

It’s 3am and Eye Smile Guy is here again.

Ahh, the witching hour, Jinyoung thinks.

Tonight is a slow night and Jin Young is ridiculously bored. Nothing really ever happens here. He just goes through same routine each night.

Since it was just the two of them here in the store, Jin Young takes his chance and opens his mouth introducing himself after Eye Smile Guy has paid for Marlboro Reds and strawberry milk.

Unexpectedly, Eye Smile Guy chokes and leaves hurriedly, almost forgetting his purchase on the counter. 

Huh, Jinyoung ponders. He shrugs and goes back to playing his mobile game.

 

-

 

It is raining heavily, and Eye Smile Guy is here again. Tinges of awkwardness wrap around Jinyoung. He is hyperaware of Eye Smile Guy’s every move. He cringes at the thought of their last encounter. 

Eye Smile Guy finally takes off his helmet and shakes the water droplets out of his black hair. The air leaves Jinyoung’s lungs instantly.

Cat-like eyes topped off with two identical moles above his right eye, Jinyoung’s eyes trail down the sharp line of his nose to settle on the double metal rings hanging off his pink lower lip.

Jin Young would be lying if he said he was not mildly interested. He cranes his neck, attempting to take a sneak peek of Eye Smile Guy through the convex mirror at the top of the store wall. 

“Hi, I’m Jaebum. Sorry about the other time.” ~~Eye Smile Guy~~  Jaebum says, rubbing the back of his head bashfully while looking down.

“I work delivery for _Around The World,_ you know, the restaurant down the block?”

Everything started to click in Jinyoung’s mind.

The following weeks pass by in a flurry where the Jaebum would appear like clockwork, at the same timing. Slowly but surely, he became the highlight of Jinyoung’s shifts with their small talk.

“Hey, errand boy.” Jinyoung teases. 

Sometimes, Jaebum drops by Gorilla Mart for all kinds of stuff the restaurant requires at the last minute. 

“Shut up.” Jaebum replies lightheartedly, grinning.

And if Jinyoung’s heart flutters at the way the corners of Jaebum’s lips curl up to reveal a bright smile, he pretends it did not happen.

 

-

 

Furrowing his brow, Jin Young tries to concentrate on the text on synaptic neurons. The motion sensor activated musical jingle of the store chimes and he spots Jae Bum.

“Oh, it’s you.” Normally, Jin Young would hide his book on the counter at the sight of a customer but he does not bother this time. Jaebum nods in acknowledgement.

When Jaebum reaches the counter, Jin Young has his cigarette pack ready to scan. He extends his palm, “$6.90, please” without looking up from his textbook. 

“You have a test coming up?”

“Yeah, my finals are next week. It’s crazy.” Jinyoung rubs his temples.

Jaebum unwraps the packaging of the carton and hits the top of the carton flat against his palm a few times. He flips it open and offers it in Jinyoung’s direction. “You want one? You look like you need one.”

“Thanks, I needed a break.”

Again, Jinyoung and Jaebum are the only people in the store at this time. Jinyoung accepts the stick and steps outside with Jaebum.

Jaebum flicks his Zippo, lighting his own cigarette first. He steps closer to Jinyoung and stretches out his arm, lighting Jinyoung’s. Jinyoung’s heart beats faster.

The gesture is strangely intimate, as Jinyoung bends down slightly with his eyelashes lowered for his cigarette to reach the flame in Jaebum’s hand.

The cool summer air contrasts with the hot inhale of smoke. Crickets sing in the distance, the night is peppered with voices and music in the distance and the occasional traffic.

Jinyoung exhales, staring up at the tiny sparkles in the cloak of midnight blue.

Fuck studying, I need this, Jinyoung thinks as he buys cup noodles for both him and Jaebum in exchange.

They sit side by side on the curb, smoking and eating cheap cup noodles together.

 

-

 

Jinyoung spends his breaks with Jaebum now, eating supper at the foldable plastic table and chairs outside Gorilla Mart. Wooyoung was neither around, nor did he care to check the security footage anyway.

It becomes something that Jinyoung looks forward to every start of his shift. His eyes light up every time Jaebum drops by in the dead of the night. This is a banal job, one that requires manpower rather than brainpower. Jaebum is a welcome disruption and a distraction to that.

“You’re pretty early today.” Jinyoung raises his brows at Jaebum entering the store carrying a plastic bag with the logo of _Around The World_.

Jinyoung had just started his shift, talking to Mark who had ended his but was still lingering around the store. 

“I actually have a delivery.”Jaebum answers, bemused. “Special delivery for Mark? There’s a note from the chef too.”

He hands the bag over to Mark. ‘Dimsum for my Dimsum ;)’ Jinyoung peeks over Mark’s shoulder to read the opened note and immediately regrets it.

Jinyoung gives Jaebum a look to which Jaebum lets out a long suffering, pained “I know.”

“Jackson and Mark have…this thing.” Jaebum explains, gesturing his hands.

“Well, my shift just started and I have other deliveries to make so I got to go.”

“Bye Mark.” Jaebum waves. “See you later, Jinyoungie.” 

“Jinyoung-ie.” Mark repeats after Jaebum left the store.

“Shut up, Dimsum.”

Mark cackles, flashing his sharp teeth. “Chill.” He opens the hot plastic container of dimsum and takes two pairs of chopsticks, offering Jinyoung one. 

“Is that him? He’s hot.” Mark says between bites of siew mai.

“There’s nothing between us.”

“Yet.”

Jinyoung eyes Mark, giving him an unamused look.

Sometimes, Jaebum brings Jinyoung food from the restaurant too. “It’s nothing.” Jaebum waves it off.

Jinyoung finds out that Jaebum enjoys food a lot, in particular fried chicken, to the point where the other man would dance for joy in an absurd manner.

Jinyoung laughs into the night, eyes crinkling at his crow’s feet.

 

-

 

Autumn comes with its chilly winds and falling leaves. Jaebum buys Jinyoung a hot cup of instant coffee from Jinyoung’s store while still drinking cold strawberry milk himself.

“I didn’t know you wore glasses.”

“I-um-” Jinyoung was so overloaded with assignments these days that he could not bother with contacts in his daily life. He knows how he looks, lifeless with dark eye circles, his unshaved chin coupled with a few zits on his cheeks. 

“Cute.”

Jinyoung could feel his ears burn. He hopes Jaebum does not notice.

They sit in silence with the tune of slow ballads playing on midnight radio. To Jinyoung’s surprise, Jaebum breaks out into song. He croons alongside the gentle beats with a steady voice, eyes closed in concentration.

“You can sing?” Jinyoung cannot believe his ears, staring at Jaebum in amazement.

“That was really good. Not idol-good but like, solo artiste-good.”

“Yeah..thanks. I have a Soundcloud, actually.”

After much relentless pestering from Jinyoung, Jaebum gives in and shares his Soundcloud with him. “You even have a mixtape?!” 

Jaebum looks away, embarrassed. “Honestly, this job is just to pay for studio time so I can work on my music.” 

The reality of both their situations sets in. Jinyoung and Jaebum are earning slightly above minimum wage to pay their bills, their jobs do not result in a comfortable lifestyle. This is not a long-term career prospect for either of them. The thing is, you do not have much of a choice when you are broke and struggling.

 

_I’m sorry, I can’t keep my eyes off you_

_One step at a time, baby_

Jinyoung hums along, swaying his body along to the soothing R&B tracks on Jaebum’s mixtape when he was alone in the store. Also, if the mixtape plays on loop through the speakers at the store, Jinyoung does not see the need to tell anyone, much less Jaebum. 

Jaebum sings of love lost and found, the usual fare for songs. Jinyoung compares Jaebum’s voice to espresso, the way Jaebum’s tongue curls around the consonants melancholically amidst the dark, sensuous melody. 

It unlocks something within Jinyoung’s chest.

 

-

 

The jingle chimes at 3am and Jinyoung looks expectantly. He visibly deflates when he sees that it is not Jaebum.

“You’re that drummer in Brian’s band right?”

A short stoic young man with curly hair eyes him disinterestedly and nods. Jinyoung only knew about their band through Wooyoung, who had been invited by Brian to their show (after persistent attempts by the bassist).

“Jaebum’s not working today?”

The man shakes his head. 

“Oh, okay.” Jinyoung murmurs, taking his phone out and pretending to be nonchalant. He places Jaebum’s usual order of strawberry milk and Marlboro Reds back to the shelves.

Loud chatter of Yugyeom and Bambam barging into the store soon disrupts Jinyoung’s peace.

Yugyeom greets Jinyoung cheerfully. “Where’s Jaebum hyung?”

Bambam and Yugyeom stopped by the store sporadically when Jaebum was around too. Yugyeom was Jaebum’s junior in his old dance crew and Bambam worked as a party promoter at the nearby club.

“He’s not working today. He’s got some other stuff.” Jinyoung rings up Yugyeom’s usual order of chocolate milk.

Bambam tilts his heads upwards, listening closely to the music playing from the speakers in the store. “Isn’t this Jaebum hyung’s music? Right, Gyeom?”

Yugyeom nods enthusiastically in agreement.

“So,” Bambam stalks forwards and rests his elbows on the counter like he was the owner of this store. He scrutinizes Jinyoung for a second before adding, “Y’all are banging.”

“Wh-No!” Jinyoung splutters behind the counter, eyes flying wide open. He almost knocks down the display of cookies with his flailing arms. 

Yugyeom breaks out into a belly laugh, clearly entertained by Jinyoung’s reaction. Jinyoung grits his teeth. Does the whole world know about him and Jaebum?

Unfazed, Bambam arches one neatly plucked and filled in brow. “So, you’re pining." 

Jinyoung makes a noncommittal grunt, pretending to count the money in the cash register.

Bambam spins around dramatically and proclaims, “Oh Romeo, I mean, oh Jaebum, where art thou?”

Bambam gives his best impression of a medieval maiden and pretends to faint into Yugyeom’s welcoming arms. Jinyoung thinks Yugyeom might be enjoying this too much.

“I’m surprised you can quote Shakespeare.”

“I go to school, _boi._ ” Bambam huffs, discarding the entire age hierarchy.

“Or at least I did.” He sobers up.

“Anyway, back to you. Jaebum always has this tiny, soft smile for you. It’s pretty gross. Don’t worry about it.” 

Honestly, Jinyoung has no idea what to do with this new information.

“Let’s go, best friend.” 

Jinyoung cringes when he hears Bambam calling Yugyeom his ‘best friend’ because Jinyoung knows that their relationships is clearly beyond that.

“Bye, Jinyoung hyung.”

“Bye, hyung. Good luck with Jaebum hyung.” Bambam mimics a phallic object in his mouth. “You’ll get _it_ eventually.” He settles on a cheeky grin before scooting out of the glass doors.

Jinyoung was a half a second from throwing his shoe at them.

 

-

 

Jinyoung does not know how it begins but they begin waiting for each other’s shifts to end.

The first time Jinyoung ever sat pillion on a motorbike, namely Jaebum’s motorbike, he was careful not to touch Jaebum at all. But Jaebum had fussed about safety and asked Jinyoung to hold onto his waist. Before Jinyoung could reach out his upper limbs, Jaebum takes Jinyoung’s arms and wraps them around him. 

Jinyoung’s voice stops in his throat. His cheeks flush as he stares at the blue flames on the back of Jaebum’s helmet in a dazed manner. Fortunately, Jaebum was not able to see this. 

Gradually, Jinyoung rests his head on Jaebum’s wide back. Cheek pressed against Jaebum’s puffer jacket, Jinyoung could make out the calm thuds of Jaebum’s heartbeat, grounding him.

Jaebum’s motorbike zips through quiet streets and expressways in the early morning, their surroundings zoom by in a kaleidoscopic blur in the window of Jinyoung’s eyes. The harsh wind howls and whips across, leaving a crisp feeling on Jinyoung’s cheeks and nose.

As the days get colder, Jaebum is a source of warmth on the ride home.

“Hey.” 

Jinyoung alights from the motorbike and unbuckles the spare helmet, returning it to Jaebum. The neighborhood was slowly waking up, people on the street on the way to school and work.

“I was thinking…”

Jinyoung has been contemplating about this for a while, wondering how to approach it. His gaze remains on Jaebum, his side profile lit by the rays of the morning sun peeking through the clouds. Jinyoung bites his lip.

“Do you want to come up?”

Jinyoung’s back hits the wall of his small flat. Jaebum’s lips frantically meet his, as though devouring him. Jinyoung tries to be quiet and prays his neighbors do not complain because of the thin walls of his tiny rental flat. 

But Jinyoung melts into Jaebum’s kisses, moaning as Jaebum sucks on his lower lip. Jaebum’s hands wander and Jinyoung feels like his brain is on fire. Jaebum’s tongue swirls in his mouth and Jinyoung vividly tastes him, a smoky blend of Marlboro Reds and the sweetness of strawberry milk.

**Author's Note:**

> the chinese title of the fic translates to ‘boy at the convenience store’ but its not as poetic sounding in English 
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> day6 cameos are from their mv drama trilogy hahahah 
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> im on twitter @bloodirises :)


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